Category: Fashion

I just got this beautiful new palette from AVON. I haven’t really been too big on palettes for awhile. When I was younger they were all terrible quality. Then, the quality got better but I had no idea how to use them. Now, palettes are everywhere. They can be good quality, nice selections, easy to use, and affordable. AVON’s is all of the those.

First off, there is a nice big mirror. I tend to use a lighted makeup mirror, but who knows when I’ll need one so that’s a useful feature. Next, there is a variety of very wearable eye shadows in matte, shimmer and metallic. I tend to prefer mattes at this stage of the game, but a little shine is nice if I’m going out or it’s a special occasion. There are five beautiful glosses, that can be worn alone or layered over lipstick. Then, there are the face colors. There is a matte contour powder, a shimmer bronze, and a shimmer highlight. Three shimmer blushes in both cool and warm complete the set.

I was thinking I’d try swatching in on my arm, like I’ve seen so many make-up mavens do online. However, I’m pretty pale, so I don’t know if that’s a good idea of how a color would look on a normal human. Plus my arms are freckled with other scars and marks, and I just didn’t think it would look good. So, I swatched them on plain white paper to just see how the color looked, how pigmented, or how well it blended. I think this was a much better idea for me.

For reference, these were swatched on plain white printer paper, late afternoon. I did not use any filters during or after. I added a white border for contrast in editing. The first 3 pictures are the eye shadows, followed by the face powders, then the lip glosses. I have to say I was pretty surprised by this palette. I expected this to be one of those ones where I end up using 3 colors and never touch the others. However, I think all the colors are really pretty and wearable, and with occasional help from Youtube, I have every intention of finding ways to make every single one of them work for me. I apologize for how poorly the lighter shades showed up. The light neutral shades are so strange in that they are not exciting, but you tend to use them until they are gone because they are so great for blending, for base, for highlight, for just so many makeup uses.

Anyway, I hope this is helpful for those of you looking for a nice palette to round out your collections, or to experiment with. It’s only $19.99 right now, so it’s a great deal, and AVON does offer a money back guarantee.

It’s been a crazy week. I have all the laundry in the world in my house and I’m behind. I know it’s only Tuesday but with school starting, the weather just cool enough so that every morning there is a debate about jackets, then Back to School Night, and all the usual husband, home and kids nonsense, I’m just running crazy. This is especially true because I don’t want to deal with any of it. I just want to crawl into a book and sip coffee. Mmm, that sounds great.

On the last post, I was talking about Fall Fashion. I love Fall for fashion. Summer is fun and all, but I love the rich colors, the boots, and all the layers. It’s hard to start making plans though, because my wardrobe is full of summer things, which at this point, I still may need some days. However, there are things I don’t like, things that don’t fit, and things that have been around way too long that I really need to get rid of. And that’s just my wardrobe! I really have to get in and dig out all the stuff from my kids’ clothes that is old, ragged, or just doesn’t fit those rough and tumble boys anymore.

So, here’s my method. First, the kids. I sit down in front of their closet and chest of drawers with a couple paper grocery bags. Sometimes I write donation on one or more of those bags. I dump all clothing 2 sizes smaller (or more!) than the last clothes I bought them into the donation bags. All except cut-off pants or stained or ripped clothes – those go in the trash. Then I go through and check the sizes only 1 size smaller than their newest clothes. Those I check carefully. Sometimes those still fit, and sometimes they don’t. It turns out children’s sizes are no more uniform than women’s sizes.

Now the hard part. My clothes. These are annoying because I have to try things on. I have to look at pretty party dresses, and try to remember when I last wore them. I have to think about how often I wear things, whether they are flattering, and of course, check for damage. I have to look over my regular everyday clothing and wonder, am I wearing this too often? Does this even look good on me? Did I get a stain on it last time that cannot be removed? And of course, maybe I should wear something else? This is frustrating. So, my current method is not the most efficient but it works better than throwing my hands up and walking away.

I set up a few paper grocery bags – donation, out of season, and throw away. There are two ways to deal with out of season. The lazy way is just to decide what you do no want to wear in the Fall/Winter and toss them in the bag. This is a good method. The harder way is to decide what you do not want to wear during Fall/Winter, then try them on and check them for damage and fit and how well you like it on you. Then, separate them into the Out of Season bag and the Donation bag. This is the better method, but best done when you have more time, patience or wine. After that is done, then you can attack the rest of your clothes looking for damage, trying them on, and judging how flattering or fashionable they are then separate them out accordingly. The winners get put back in your closet or moved to the laundry room or car for repair, dry cleaning, or attempted stain removal.

Then of course, one has to tackle the shoes. Then the belts. Maybe purses after that. Then, the worst, the jewelry. Do I really need that clunky pewter bracelet I picked up in 1998? I love these shoes, are they really ruined? Where did I get this belt anyway, is it even mine? I tend to do this in stages. No, wait, I mean, spurts. I do this randomly, occasionally, with no rhyme or reason. Also, if you can, play happy music, preferably loudly. When you are done, it is a good time to reward yourself. Personally, I am planning on this woven bag from Mark. Or maybe these new Moto Boots?

As always, I leave you with a coupon code, good today only. It’s Customer Appreciation Week at AVON, so there will be new specials every day on my eshop. Orders today over $60 will receive a 8-piece Customer Favorites Set with code DAY2 – remember today only for this code!

I like to keep up with fashion and beauty blogs online. I even pick up a magazine every now and then. Sure, most days I look like the tired mom that I am, but I do pay attention. I appreciate a good outfit when I see one, and every now and then I even wear one! So, I’ve been seeing new Falls trends being discussed and I’d like to illustrate how AVON can help you, and me, enjoy some of those too!

First up, is Monochrome Outfits. Monochrome can be a little difficult to pull off, but it is everywhere right now. You can alleviate it by breaking it up with soft shades that accentuate your main color, or with bold accessories. Basic black accessories with gold accents are also great for adding drama!

Next up is leopard print! Leopard print is everywhere, but it really is a classic that everyone can wear. If you’re not fond of leopard, other animal prints are great too, and easy to work into your wardrobe. If you prefer a touch of animal style, accent pieces like jewelry or handbags are great and have more impact than you’d think!

All of these pieces can be found in the current AVON catalog or online.

Also hot this Fall are romantic styles and soft colors. Add some sweetness to your wardrobe with delicate jewelry or pretty florals. A soft colored bag or a lace-edged camisole layered into your warm outfit will bring the romance.

Some of these are AVON and some are MARK, and those camis are on sale, in AVON’s adult women’s sizes, for a four pack that includes all four colors!

Vivid green is a hot transition color to Fall’s warm browns, tans, and burgundies. Whether you build your outfit around it, or just use it as bright accent to your neutrals, this color can have a lot of impact. Think emeralds, not limes, for this transition color.

The dress and top are AVON, the jewelry shown is MARK.

All this and a lot more. AVON has fashion clothing and accessories as well as wonderful makeup and cutting edge skincare! Time to start thinking about that fall wardrobe! As always, I’ll leave you with a coupon code!